We decorate our homes in Japandi style, drink tea from Japanese ceramics and plaster our walls with Yayoi Kusama posters.
A record number of Danes are traveling to Japan, and there have never been more Japanese eateries in the capital than there are now.
But where do you go if you want the most authentic experience?
Sushi & ramen
Akiyo Inoue, 35. Works in IT sales at the Japanese market.
»I’m from Shizuoka, between Tokyo and Nagoya. The region is known for seafood, sushi and green tea, and it’s also one of the places where you get a truly beautiful view of Mount Fuji«.
»My friends and I often go to Coméin the Meatpacking District. I usually order one of their rice bowls, but my favorite onigiri is their salmon mayo, and I also love their chicken karaage, which is deep-fried chicken«.
»I also like Selfish Sushi on Elmegade. The owner is Japanese, the quality of the fish is good, and the sushi tastes fantastic. The place is pretty small, so I’d recommend getting it to go. If you’re sharing with a group, I’d choose the ’Super Large’ box. It’s really good and absolutely worth the money«.
»Finally, I’d recommendKūkai Ramen, which is a new ramen shop on Amagerbrogade. Order their tonkotsu — one of the most popular ramen soups in Japan, originally from the city of Fukuoka. Tonkotsu means pork bones, which is what the broth is made from. After it’s simmered for a couple of hours, it turns creamy white. Very few places in Copenhagen offer that kind of ramen«.
Tonkatsu and udon
Terkel Atsushi, 36. Musician.
»I’m half Danish and half Japanese, and I lived in Japan until I was six. My family is from Shibuya in Tokyo, right in the downtown area. Tokyo is especially known for its street food — including soba, udon and shoyu ramen«.
»One place that feels very authentically Japanese in Copenhagen is Tokyo Restaurant on Vesterbrogade. It’s been there since the 1960s, and it’s the oldest Japanese restaurant in Scandinavia«.
»My family and I went there a lot when I was little. I remember sitting there eating and playing Gameboy on the tatami mats. So I have a nostalgic connection to the place, too. I’d order their tonkatsu any day — a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. It’s a bit of a heavier dish, but really delicious«.
»Bento, by Halmtorvet, is also fantastic. There I’d recommend their udon noodles«.
»I also like some of the newer places. I went to Posh Jah on Borgergade the other day. They’re not trying to be authentic, and the staff isn’t Japanese either, but it’s really delicious, and they put a great spin on Japanese dishes. You get lots of small plates of the classics, which are otherwise usually quite large dishes«.
Sashimi and sake
Maoko Tokunaga, 30. Works as a sales representative at an IT startup.
»I’m from Tokyo, and when I go home, I always make a point of buying a lot of dashi shoyu — a kind of broth that can be made from fish, vegetables or chicken. In Japanese cooking, it’s pretty essential, because it provides so much of the flavor in our dishes«.
»I like Jah Izakaya on Vesterbrogade. The food is made in a traditional izakaya style, which is a type of bar in Japan that people go to after work. Jah Izakaya has lots of small dishes, their ingredients are fresh, and the flavor is so good you don’t need a lot of sauces. The prices are good, too. I’d recommend their sashimi, and you can get really good sake from different regions. Their shochu sake is especially good — even by Japanese standards«.
Onigiri
Maris Takara, 35. Works as a political adviser.
»I’m half Japanese, half Latvian, and I now live in Copenhagen. My mother is from Japan’s third-largest city, Nagoya, which is known for the dish miso katsu. It’s a panko-breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet served with rice and cabbage on the side. The cutlet is topped with a thick, sweet and spicy miso sauce that’s intensely umami and incredibly delicious«.
»I love places that make classic onigiri. It takes me back to when I was in school and my mother packed them in my lunch. These days I often make them myself at home, but I’m happy they’ve started showing up in more places around the city, too«.
»I’d recommend a newly opened place on Vesterbrogade called Saito. The owner mixes traditional Japanese flavors with newer ones and makes, among other things, a classic onigiri with pickled plum. It might sound plain, but it’s my favorite. We made them often when I was little. It was a cozy family tradition«.
Ramen
Emil Nakahara, 37. Owner and head chef atNakahara Cooking.
»I went to kindergarten in Japan, and now I travel back one to two times a year. My father is Japanese and is from the Gifu region, which is well known for producing samurai swords and Japanese knives from the city of Seki«.
The region is also known for miso, and its signature specialty is ayu — a small kind of trout that’s grilled with salt over Japanese charcoal. People catch them in the river, either with a rod or using the old fishing method, ukai, where cormorant birds are used to catch them. If you go farther up into the mountains to the town of Takayama, they’re known for their wagyu called Hida beef«.
»If I’m in the mood for street food, I’d go to Jah Izakaya or visit Slurp on Nansensgade. That’s typical when the weather is a bit colder and I need something more filling — something salty, with plenty of umami. I’d order their shio ramen, which has a salt-based broth and is topped with chashu pork, egg and scallions«.
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